Replacements for a Tele

[MrBump]

I really want a Piledriver Tele - obviously, we all need to hear clips of it now - one of the main conditions of the forum; nothing exists without proof... clips are essential.

Mark.

[PhilKing]

I'd done a note a while back about the different Tele bridge pickups (I don't have all the variations of neck pickups because I like the sound of other pickups in the neck position).  However, if I just wanted a versatile tele set with a 50's lean, I would go fot the Flatpole Black Guard set.  The neck pickup in both blackguard sets is the same and is a little thicker sounding than the usual tele neck (more Stratish), the flat pole has a little more puch and thicker sound then the stager pole.  Both sets sound great though (I have the flatpoles in a 57 Tele and at LGS 07 the stagger poles were in a black guard clone).  The pile driver is a thicker sounding pickup but works well with my Slowhand Strat neck in my Warmoth tele.  The Brown Sugars really get the Keef tone, I have the bridge with a mini-HB neck in a 59 Esquire, and the Yardbirds nail the 62 tele sound (I have a 62 tele and have played the Yardbird set too, they are really close - I suspect they would sound the same as the originals in the same guitar).  The Boss is a little brighter sounding 50's style pickup, think Roy Buchanan and you are in the ball park. 

I hope this helps, though as I first said, I think the Flat Pole Black Guard set will be the best ones.

[tomjackson]

Phil, with regards to the Boss set being good for Buchanan, I've read that he used a '53 Tele which I would of thought would be closer to the Blackguard sound?  I havn't tried either but just want to get the differences clear in my head as I'm hoping to buy some soon. 

Having looked at some RB clips on youtube recently it's actually his thick neck tone I'm after with a fatter less cutting bridge tone.  Do you think Boss neck and BG bridge would fit the bill?

I think the difficulty for those of us with little or no experience of vintage teles is understanding the subtle differences between the years.  The names give a clue but different band/artists used diferent amps also, so it's hard to visualise the differences....

[AndyR]

Tom, Phil's actually got more far more experience of different BKP tele pups, but I've been looking at Roy Buchanan recently, and wondering about pups.

All I've got is a BG flat 50 set in a baja, and I think the bridge would indeed get you a "fatter less cutting bridge tone". I'm not sure about the BG neck though (trouble is, the guitar's away getting refretted at the moment, so I haven't been able to use her since I took delivery of my Buchanan CDs, torture!!) - I suspect it's a little too thick/warm for RB though.

I've been imagining Yardbirds on a rosewood board tele - this is because when I went searching for RB clips, I was interested to find that most of the clips I found had him using 60s type teles. I was also surprised a while back to find Steve Cropper was usually playing 60s style teles - so my next tele is likely to be just that: "62 reissue" kinda guitar with Yardbirds in it.

But Phil's said "Boss" before - so it makes me wonder (I've never been a big fan of "the Boss", so I've never really paid any attention to these pups :lol:)

[PhilKing]

The reason I said Boss is because I was listening to RB a while back and his tone is quite bright (with lots of nice controlled harmonic feedback), so I was asking Tim about it and he recommended the Boss set for it.  I actually don't have a Boss set but have played them at LGS/Music Live a couple of times, though this is different to playing your own guitar with them.  Just to also let you know, I usually am helping on the BK stand so I can try the guitars before everyone gets in and get a feel for them.  Since I am helping people select their pickups, it is good to hear them first!  The blackguards are a little fatter sounding (but still very telecaster), with a slightly brighter bridge sound if you take the stagger poles.  Yardbirds are Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page rolled into a tele, as I said before, jsut like my real 62 Tele set.